Our friends at Brewery Vivantcontinue to crank out Belgian-inspired goodness in cans. The February 2013 release of this monster anniversary ale brings their total count of craft cans to a baker’s dozen. At 11.5% ABV, it currently shares the title of “Biggest Beer in a Craft Can” with 21st Amendment’s Lower De Boom. We’ve been anxiously awaiting this one’s arrival in cans since our visit to the brewery last year, so let’s get at it!

Here we go...

Pour - deep copper brown. Very little light gets through. Head dissipated quickly and left some thin, spotty lacing in its wake.

Taste - rich, sweet ripe fruit start that dries out in the middle and ends with sour notes for a moment before a dry, crisp, and very clean finish. As it warms the breadiness and yeast spice become more pronounced. A beer this big should take more than a couple minutes to finish (and therefore warm up), but its clean finish makes that a challenge. By the time I reached the bottom of the glass I was actually considering opening another.

Overall - Our review is the combination of two separate tastings – one very fresh and a second with three months of aging. Based on our tasting notes, when young the grain stands out and the bready qualities play a more prominent role in the flavor and aroma. With some age the fruit comes out and the body thins out. We like it better with some age on it, though young or old its drinkability is dangerous. To my palate, this is one of the more enjoyable quads brewed in the States.

Note - The first canned release of Hubris saw very limited distribution beyond of the brewpub. Look for Hubris to return to cans again on December 3, 2013 with a couple more new ones between now and then.

Monk Scale - this scale is a rating for Belgian and Belgian-style beers.